SUPREME COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2442, 5 March 1909, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

HALF-YEARLY SITTINGS. A > _ The' half-yearly sittings of the Supreme Court were commenced yesterday before His Honor Mr Justice Edwards. . GRAND JURY. The following gentlemen were chosen to serve on the Grand Jury.: Allen Leonard Muir, Jas. Dalrymple, H. J. Christopher, H. M. Porter, G. K. Pasley, Joseph B. Kells, Vincent' Pyke, G. J. Faulkner, I*. T. Morgan, J. .>V. J. Preston, Freak Parker, W. F. -CederwaH, _M. L. Foster, Robert Johnston, -u. McCredie, J. E. Foster, A. H. Hodge, A. H. Wallis, 11. G. Hallamore, A.R. Hire. G. Grant, Wm. Hy. Tucker, James Whinray. Hon. Capt. Tucker ivas elected lore man. HIS HONOR’S ADDRESS TO THE GRAND JURY. His Honor, in his address to tin Grand Jury, said that all he had say would occupy very little time There was in the- calendar He tore the Court a gratifying absence of sexua. offences. There were a number ■ charges of dishonesty of various c*~-<n-ees of seriousness, but nono presented anv difficulties in points of law. H would'be the duty of the Grand Jiu.a to see if there was reasonable evidence for the prisoners to 6tand then tin. before a common jury, and it so t. return a true bill, if there was no reasonable evidence to place t I soners upon their trial the jury none! find : no bill against the persons accus ed. __ _ T v„v- ir>c .

COMMON JURORS. The following jurymen were caller! and answered to their names: • • Third, F. Lawton, G. Edwards, F. LThomas, H. P. Anderson, T. P. Vos-, ner A. R. V-alder, J. Malker. MPool, J. Chambers, W G. McLaurin, H. G.'Tucker, V. Nossiter, L. J . Martin, Wm. 'Smith, J. H. Gittos. W H Harding, C. W. Tayloi, H. Wider W. A. Robertson, C. Sargisson, J. 8. Allan. A. Kirk, D. Peach D. Gordon, A. F. Kennedy, P. Sheridan. T. L. Steel, A. Morgan, E. 6. Goldsmith, J. 11. Ormond, M. WCraio-, Jas. Morrison, Jas. East T. KParker, H. R. Bendle. A Pntchanl. ,T. F. Jeiine, Ed. Alf. Chmch, J. Fisher, J. R* NicliollSj J. Clflrkj 0. Cox, C. A. Sherriff. TRUE BILLS. True bills Avere returned hv the Grand Jury in the folloiving cases: Norman McLeod, alleged theft; Joseph (Hannon, alleged theft ; William • Collins, alleged forgery and uttering ; Patrick Morris, alleged breaking and entering and theft; William John Knight, alleged arson; James Straker Jackson. ° alleged assault, causing actual bodily harm ; John James Isaac Todd, alleged theft; EdAvard Boniface, alleged breaking and entering and theft. True bills were thus returned in every instance. HORSESTEALING. The first- case called was that against Norman McLeod, who Avas charged with having, on January 26th., 190:) stolen a horse, saddle and bridle, the property of John Rutherford Shaw, of Pakarae, and valued at £9 10. Accused pleaded not guilty. The following jury ii'-as empanelled : J. Fisher (foreman), J. IT. Gittos, E. S. Goldsmith. J. Morrison, T. Steel, W. Smith; C. A. -Sherriff, D. Gordon, P. Sheridan, C. Sargieson, W. A. Robertson, A. Pritchard. The prosecution Avas conducted by Mr J. W. Nolan, Crown Prosecutor, and accused Avas defended by Mr T. Alston Coleman.

Mr Nolan briefly opened the ca.se for the prosecution and proceeded to call evidence.

John Rutherford -Shaw, hotelkeeper of Pakarae. said that >accused came to the hotel on January 24th, and .got accommodation and paid on account which Avas owing to Avitness. Next day accused wanted to hire a horse to go to Puatae station, which lay in the opposite direction to Gisborne. He gavo accused the horse, and told him tho hire would be os. He next heard of tho horse a day or so later, when he received a telephone message fovm tho Albion stables, asking if he had sold the horse to accused. Accused Avas brought to the telephone, and iyit~ ness asked him what he had done Avith. the horse, saddle and bridle. Accused replied that he had returned it from Tatapouri. He then taxed accused until having sold it and accused replied : “You don’t think I would come at that game.” He saw the horse later on at the Albion stables anti recognised both it and the saddle as bis property. He gave no authority to accused to dispose of the horse. To Mr Coleman: It Avas on a- Sunday that accused came to the. hotel. He was fairly right- as regard sobriety, and had drinks at tlxe hotel that day. Accused paid him £2 in notes and did not give him £7 in notes. - Thomas Lougher also gave evidence as to having met accused at Tatapouri on January 25. Accused offered to sell him a horse, saddle and bridle, but av it ness agreed eventually to purchase the saddle for £l. The saddle (produced) Avas the -one -he had bought. To Mr Coleman: Ho paid-full value for the saddle.

Joseph Francis, livery stable-keep-er, stated that accused told him, when he came in to the Albion stables, that he must sell the -horse, as he was going aAA'ay by boat. Witness eventually agreed to purchase the horse for £1 and the receipt (produced) was given to- him hy witness. After the purchase, the witness Lougher was speaking at the telephone in the Albion hotel, and accused ivas also brought to the telephone. He heard, accused say: “I sent your horse back from Tatapouri.” To Mr Coleman: He gave_ for the horse AA'liat it was Avortli to him. Accused seemed -to be roplying to a question AA'lien speaking at the telephone. Jae. Porter;’ clerk at the Albion. Hotel, said that he was present while the conversation between Lougher and Shaw ivas being lield -over the phone. Accused wont to the telephone and said: “I sent'your bor.se hack from Tatapouri,” and: then said, “Do you think I’d come at that,” evidently in reply to questions”’from the other end.. To Mr Coleman : Accused appeared to ho .indignant at the suggestion that ho had sold tho” horse.

Constable Torr, of Fraser town, gave evidence of having arrested accused at Nuhaka on January 31st. Ho did not know accused,'- ' hut the latter answered the description of a man that was wanted. Accused denied that his name was McLeod, hut witness said : “You are near enough for ■'me/’ and-arrested

him. Directly after his unrest, accus'd was charged with the offence. Ho denied having stolen the horse'from Jhaw, and said that'-he had paid for t. He further admitted that his name was McLeod, and said that at th was McLeod, and said that at the time of the purchase both he and Shaw were very drunk, and he had got no receipt. ' . This concluded the evidence for the prosecution, and for the defence Mr Coleman claimed that there had been ; a sale of the horse, saddle and bridle j to accused at Pakarae. -He com- j mented on the absence of the groom, ’ who should have been called to corroborate Shaw’s evidence. Norman McLeod, the accused man, gai r e evidence. He arrived at Shawls hotel on January 24, a Sunday. He had come from Takup-au station, and sold his horse to a shepherd at Puatae station. He gut £9 in notes for his horse, and .when he arrived at the Pakarae Hotel he had a drink at the bar with a friend and ShaAV. Mrs Shaw then shut up the bar, as Shaw was pretty drunk at this time, and witness was told by Shaw that there was an old account to be settled. They went into the office together,• and discovered that there was a bill OAvin-g amounting to £2 6s 3d. Shaw gave him no receipt as he could not find a stamp. Ho -asked Shaw to sell him a cheap horse, saddle and bridle, and ShaAV offered to sell him a complete turnout for £4 10s. He then gave Shaw a £5 note and two single £1 notes, but -lie got no receipt. On the same evening he saw ShaAV lying on the sofa in the office, and lie (witness) and the witness Lougher, had drinks at the bar. He remained until attor dinner the following day,: but. no menfcion was made of the hiring of a horse. Prior to his leaving the hotel the horse was brought for him to the front of the hotel.,, ' , ... olt To Mr Nolan : He stayed with Shaw in September, after he came out the hospital Avith a broken armwalked to Pakarae without .money, but lie did not ask Shaw foi an ,Y hoard. Arrangements Avero made for i -week’s board for him by Mr. Merritt at Puatae Station. He went to work at Puatae station and later went further up the Coast. He sold the saddle at Tatapouri for £l, although he had bought it a short time previously for 30s. He spoke to Shaw by telephone from the Albion. Hotel, and heard Shaw say, “I thought you were going to send my horse back from latopouri last night.” Accused replied that he had sent the horse back. Shaiv said, “You have sold my horse and saddle, and I’ll leave the matter ui the hands of the police.” He then told ShaAV that he could do Avhatever he liked. He had reason to suppose that the witnesses were not tell- j ing the truth as to the conversation •' _>ver the telephone. He travelled to Nuhaka on a AA'aggon Avith a man named BroAvn. j This was all the evidence called for - the defence, and after both counsel j had addressed the Court- at length, His Honor, reviewing the evidence, i addressed the jury. If they believed j Shaw’s evidence the case would not : present any difficulty. He comment- 1 ed on the fact that no questions had i been asked either ShaAV or any of the i witnesses regarding ShaAv’s condition of sobriety. They were not asked to believe that Shaw had come into Court to deliberately perjure himself, and they could hardly think so if they were asked to do so. His Honor continued to review the evidence, summing up strongly against the prisoner. After an adjournment of 3 hours 18 minutes, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. • In passing sentence, His Honor said to accused; In addition to the charge of theft you have committed the graver charge of-perjury. While the. Court is not trying you for perjury there is no doubt that in committing it you have seriously aggravated the "Vior offeuce, and yon have attempted to excuse yourself bv means of -an untrue and disreputable offence. If ivhen brought before the Magistrate you had admitted 1 your guilt and cast yourself upon the merev of the Court I should have been'inclined to take a very different vieAV of your case. Under the circumstances' I cannot alloAV the offence to pass Avithout inflicting a substantial punishment. The sentence of the Court is that you be imprisoned in the common prison -at Auckland 1 ■ with hard labor for the space of two years. ’ AN UNEXPECTED ADJOURNMENT. ; i Joseph Hannon, Avas charged Avith having, on or about October 26th, 1908, stolen one bay gelding, the property of David Stewart. Mr L. T. Burnard appeared on behalf of accused, Avho pleaded “not guilty.” . , The following jury was empanelled : Geo. Edward, M. W. Craig, E. A. Church, A. Kirk, H. J. Bendle. J.-S. Allen, F. P. Vosper, A. R. Valdev, H. G. Tucker, F. H. Lawton, F. L. Thomas, James Third. Mr J. S. Allan was chosen foreman. Mr J. W. Nolan, CroAvn Prosecutor, outlined the details of the charge. Charles Tills said that he saiv David Stewart outside the Masonic Hotel on October 26th. He thought accused Avas there too, and he heard Stewart ask accused to hold his horse for a moment or tAVo. He next saw accused leading the horse up Gladstone Road tOAvards the Railway stables. - To Mr Burnard: To the best of his belief the words given wvere the exact words -used, but he did not hear distinctly, and there may have been a further conversation between accused and Ste-wart. . Michael Keady, proprietor of tbo Railway Stables, said that he -saw ac-. cusecWn the morning of ; October 26th. - leading a horse. He came to witness stables later on and took the horse, into the backyard. • Witness drove away and on his return at noon-, accused was still there; and offered to sell him the horse for £7. ' Accused 1 told him that ho had ridden him from Morere, and denied that the- horse -had Been entered for sale on the previous Saturday. Witness then offered accused £6 for the horse, and he accepted this sum, and gave witness a receipt (produced). Accused was dressed in ordinary working clothes, and his boots were not new. To Mr Burnard: He did not say. in the LoAver Court, that he offered accused £6 for the horse. Constable 'Pratt said that Avhen he arrested accused he (accused) told him that he had a right to sell the horse on behalf of the owner, who had asked him to do-so: After accused had sold the horse and got the money, he offered .it to ,him, hut the owner of the horse had refused to take it. When searched, accused had £4 7s 8d in his possession, but refused to say

what he had got for the horse. Accused was wearing a new pair - pi boots, .and appeared to have had a shave and hair cut. The principal witness (in this case David Stewart, was called, -but failed to appear. A search was made in town for him, but it- was resultless, and His -Honor issued a warrant.foi his apprehension. _ The case was adjourned until-this morning at 10 o’clock. j ALLEGED BREAKING. AND j ENTERING AND THEFT. 1 EdAvard Boniface was charged ivith: having, on May ‘27th, 1908, broken and entered the shop of Messrs Teat and Friar, fit Ormond, aiid with hai; ing stolen therefrom 20 packets of cigarettes, and two shillings in coppers. Mr L. T. Barnard appeared for accused, Avho pleaded “not guilty.” The following jury was empanelled : J. R. Nicholls, H. C. Anderson, G. W. Taylor, A. Morgan, Wm. Pool, W. H.- Harding, J. F. Jenne, J. H . Ormond, D. Peach, L. T. Martin, H. Miller, A. F. Kennedy. Mr A. F. Kennedy Avas chosen foreman. Mr J. W. Nolan opened the case for the Crown, and revie-Aved the circumstances of the offence. j Frederick Friar, manager of the Ormond store, said that he lived on the premises. On the morning after the shop was entered he found the front window of the shop broken. Two shillings in coppers ana tAventy packets of cigarettes Avero stolen. To Mr Burnard: He Avent to bed at--9 p. m., but there ivas no spree before he went to bed. There was a ledge in front of the window, -and he had often seen persons resting against tho -window. He did not remember accused purchasing .anything at the store tho morning when the theft Was discovered. There was other money in the safe, Avhich Avas locked. Detective RaAvle gave evidence of having t visited Ormond. He found tlio front AvindoAV to be broken, and he found a finger print on the portion of tho .glass remaining .in the ' windoAV and on the left hand side. He also took some glass containing further imprints from the right hand side of the frame. The pieces of glass AA'ere sent to the Finger Print Department at- Wellington. Accused was arrested on Sootember 28th on the present charge. At the time of tho burglary accused was living at Orrnoud. Finger prints had been taken when accused was in t-lio custody of the gaoler on another charge. Constable Davy said that Avlien accused was in the gaol during September his finger prints Avere taken. , Detective Quarteranain, finger printexpert, of the Police Department, | Wellington, said that the pieces of 1 glass Avere received by him in Juno last-.. They bore three finger prints, and the photographs produced wero J true enlarged copies of the prints on the glass. The copy of accused’s finger j print AA'as .received in Wellington, in September, and other photographs ! produced were true enlarged copies !of certain of the accused’s finger ! prints. -He had compared the -im- ' pressions on the glass -wit-li those of the J photographs and lie was perfectly sati isfied that- they Avero the identical impressipns. In some of the photographs there were twenty-four distinct points of similarity, in -others eight points, and -again in others fourteen points! There Avere no impressions of | dissimiliar-ity in any of the impressions. With bis knowledge of finger prints he thought that the chances of the finger .prints on the glass being different were so remote as to be absolutely impossible. In. all Ills five ; year’s experience lie had handled prot bablv 100,000 prints, and he had never ■ heard of any two prints being similar. It Avas beyond all doubt that the finger prints on the glass ivero the same as those on the form. Some of the impressions were in blood, indicating that the .person tampering ivitli the glass had cut himself. This concluded the evidence for the prosecution, and Mr. rsurnard outlined the evidence to Be called for the defence.

Edward Boniface, the accused, ga-vo evidence. He was living at Ormond at- the time of the robbery , and working for Mr. J. A. Caesar. On tho night of the theft he was at Fred. Parson’s place at Ormond up to about *11.30 -p.m. .After leaving there he went home, a distance of a chain or two, and at once retired to bed. Being called in t-he morning by Mr. Parsons, be went on ivith his ordinary duties. He went to Friar’s store that morning to get some tea for Mrs. Par-sons,-and he also purchased tivo packets of cigarettes out of the change. On the Monday evening he was in Ormond at the front of Friar’s store. They were playing at boxing there together, and one of his companions hit him on the nose making it bleed. Walter Whyte, laborer, Ormond, said that lie ivent to the store and saw the windo\A r broken. He. did not think that a man could have got through, the” break in the window. Be bad repeatedly seen people with their bands resting" on the window panes. Frederick Parsons, dairyman, of Ormond, said that lie AA r as in bis own house on the night of the robbery. Accused was at his place until 11.30 p.m., and he (witness) called him tlio following morning. Accused brought home halLa-pound of tea from the store and told witness’ wife that ho had bonght two packets of cigarettes. To Mr. Nolan : He Avas a cousin of the accused.. He did not remember telling Detective Rawle that ho did not knoAV Avhere accused Avas on the night the -shop was broken into. Martha Parsons, Ayife of the last witness, gave corroborative evidence, as to the movements of the accused on the night of the robbery. Julia Pound, residing at Ormond, said that at 9.20 p.m. on the night of tlio robbery; she ivas passing the Ormond ‘store. There,were men apparently sky-larking and chopping wood in the ; back kitchen. She also heard the noise continue after she had got home, a distance of a few chains. Up till after 10 o’clock there was considerable noise going on in tho store. To Mxv ; Nolan: She was an aunt of tho accused.

Frederick Friar, re-called, denied the statements that had been mado regarding tho noise in the kitchen. To Mr. Burnard: Ho ivas quito sober that night, having only had one drink.

Detective Rawle, recalled, said that ho could easily get through tho broken pane. . - To Mr. Burnard: It was quite possible for a, man to get through into tho shop without disturbing tho -goods in -tho windoiv. There ivas the imprint of a boot inside the ledge of the window. ■ At the conclusion of tho hearing of the evidence, counsel addressed the

Court, During Mr. Burnard’s address ‘ His ’ Honor recalled Detective Rawle , to ascertain from him that accused’s . Ai'ere the only finger prints discernible ‘ on the glass. i His Honor, in summing, up, said that the whole question was whether they AA'ere. satisfied with .accused’s explanation. Three -things (AA'ere certain, that the -store ivas broken into, thatthe cigarettes and coppers were (stolen, and -that accused’s finger prints were on the glass. The fact that the finger prints were on the glass Avas aAvkward for the accused! to say the least of it. The explanation given by accused was quite possible, and the Avit-nesscs for the defence might bo telling the truth but their remarkable remembrance of minute details Avas calculated to throw suspicion on their evidence. He felt hound to say that ho did not belkrv-e a -AA'-ord of the eAndence for the defence relating to the disturbance at the store. He thought that they Ai'ould ha.vo little or no trouble in arriving at the conclusion that the defence was manufactured. If they could have any reasonable doubt- of the guilt of tho accused the3 T should acquit him, but if not, they would have to find him guilty. The jury retired at 4.55 p.m., and at 9.42 p.m.,'after an absence of 4 hours 47 minutes, they returned into Court. The Foreman stated, that there Avas no possibility of_ their agreeing. " The jury Avas accordingly discharged and on the application of Mr. ; Nolan His Honor ordered a neiv trial for Monday next.'

ASSAULT. James Straker Jackson was charged •with having on November 19tli assaulted one -William Harvey, thereby causing hiim .actual bodily harm, and on a second count of having assaulted Harvey on the same date. Mr. L. T. Burnard appeared for the accused, who pleaded “not guilty.” The following jury was empanelled : V. Nossiter.. W. G. McLaurin, C. Cox, W. A. 11-obertso-n, W. Smith, J. Fisher, A. Pritchard, T. L. Steel, C. A. Sheriff, D. Gordon, J. H. Gittos, C. Sargisson. Mr. Janies Fisher was chosen foreman. Mr. Nolan outlined the evidence for tho prosecution, and called William Harvey, laborer, who said that in November he was residing -at Mrs. Brooking’s house in Gladstone Road. On 19th December he saw accused at the house. Accused told him that-he had come to see Mrs. Brady, who was living with witness at tho house, -and who had previously been living Avith accused. Witness opened the door when accused arrived, as accused threatened to break it- open. As soon as the door was opened lie was hit with the wool-hook by accused, and he suffered three wounds in the head. . After being assaulted witness ran -into Mrs. Brooking’s bedroom, and accused folio-wed him,, threatening him. Accused -asked -him for the wool-hook, which he had -taken from him. He was badly hurt,, and had his -head bathed by a man living on the opposite side of the road. His injuries had to be medically treated, but lie Avas ready for Avork in a feAV days. To Mr. Burnard: When accused was at the house in the morning some mention was mado of some money and papers that Avere missing. When the dispute started he could not ' swear that the accused struck the first blow, and he now thought that he was just as much to. blame as accused for tho assault. He was at present serving a sentence in prison for vagrancy. Re-examined by Mr. Nolan: He could not swear who struck tlio first blow. Ho -did not remember striking accused. Elizabeth Brady said that in November last she' AA r as, living with Harvey, and prior to that she had been living with accused for close oil tivo years. When accused knocked at tho door she went to it and asked. “Who is there?” Accused replied, “It’s me, Lizzie!” She told linn to ivait until 6he got a light. Harvey eventually opened the door, and, from her room, she heard a scuffle, and Harvey say to accused, “You leave me alone or I AA r ill uso a. bottle.” /- -: ' To Mr. Burnard: Harvey was not in the house Avhen (accused knocked first. He got through a window >and told her that lio would ans Aver the door. She later saw a broken bottle and a brPkcn lamp, but in the afternoon accused gaye her the Avool-hook Arhich Avas placed in a room boliind the piano in the afternoon. Accused could not have had the Avool-hook when he came to the house late at night. It was not less than five minutes after the door was opened that she lieafd the scuffle. Both men were too drunk to fight. Re-examined by Mr. Nolan: She could not say if tlio wool-hook was remoA r ed from whoro she had placed it.

-Alfred Phillip Coker, medical practitioner, gave evidence of having attended to Harvey’s injuries at the Police Station on the. night of tho Nov.ornber 19tli. Three of the Avounds were evidently caused by a blunt pointed instrument, such as a woolhook.

To Mr. Barnard: The wounds could have been caused by any bluntipointcd instrument, or by n broken bottle, if it was brought down on top of has head with force. The wound .oo'uld have been caused by Harvey’s head

having' been brought into contact ivith any hard substance on the floor. David 1 M. Gorman, reporter on tho “Gisborne Times” staff, said that he saw Harvey in Upper Gladstone Road on the night of the assault, almost directly opposite Brooking’s (house. Harvey was bleeding from Avounds in the head, 'and was in a dazed condition. He saAV accused arrested 1 by Constable Pratt, when he said, “It is all right, Pratt, I did it; I had good reason for doing so.” 'He saw Harvey bring a Avool-hook from another room, stating, in accused’s presence, that this was the hook with which he had been assaulted. When produced in the lower Court, there were traces of blood on the hook. Accused, on the AA-ay to the Police Station, admitted having assaulted Harvey, hut denied having used the hook, and said he was “sorry he had notr-finished him,” and that “he would murder him yet.”. To Mr. Burnard : Accused was excited.

Constable Pratt gave evidence of having gone to Mrs Brooking’s house in consequence of information received. He saw Harvey leaning against a fence, and found that he Avas suffering from wounds on the head and face. On going into, the house he saw accused com© out of a room into the passago and said, “Who the h are you looking for.” Witness charged accused ivith having -assaulted Harvey, and accused said that he -regretted ho had not “finished” Harvey altogether, and that he had good reasons for what he had done. Harvey found the wool-liook in an adjoining room, and it wan covered with blood. Accused denied having used the hook on Harvey, and on -the ivay to the Police Station ho repeated his threats to “do for him.”

To Mr. Burnard: Harvey ivas -in a “dazed” condition, -and accused ivas not intoxicated.

This concluded the. Case for tlio prosecution, and Mr. Burnard addressed the Court at length for his client. His Honor summed up, saying that it ivas quite plain that both Harvey and accused had been in communication in prison. Hou'ever, ivithout the evidence of Harvey he thought they could get on all right. Continuing, His Honor reviewed the evidence at some length, and said that- they had the express admissions of accused, in the presence of Constable Pratt aiid another witness, that he had done the deed. He -had no sympathy wit-li either Harvey, accused, or the woman, but tho peace of the community must be preserved. If they had any reasonable doubt as to the guilt of accused they should acquit him, but if, on the other hand, they had not that doubt, they must find him -guilty of either of tho tivo counts in the indict, ment, or of both. The jury retired at 8.25 p.m., and returned at 10 p.m. to ask His Honor to define actual bodily harm. This ivas done, and the jury again retired, returning in five minutes with-a verdict of guilty on the second count. Asked if he had anything to say, accused said that the Judge had tried to make, out that lie (accused) ivas a disreputable character, but enquiry would prove- this to bo wrong. He ivas nothing of the sort, and had done nothing to be ashamed of. His Honor, addressing accused, said that on the evidence- there was no doubt that ho had been guilty of a serious assault. The sentence of tho Court ivould bo that accused' should be kept in the. common prison at Auckland for six months with hard labor. The Court adjourned at 10.15 p.m. until 10 o’clock this morning. A TERM OF PROBATION. Louisa Margaret Price (Mr. Kirk), who had pleaded guilty to a charge of having made a false declaration tothe Registrar of Births, ivas admitted to probation for a period of tivelve months. IN CHAMBERS. In Chambers yesterday morning Mr. Tlios. Alston Coleman ivas admitted as a barrister on the application of Mr. W. L. Rees. Letters of administration in tbo estate of Dora Alice Griffin, deceased, were granted to Cornelius Griffim Mr. E. IT. Mann made the application.